


Support

by ArtistAtHeart1



Category: DCU, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Best Friends, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fear of Relapsing, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Jason is a Good Friend, Oliver Queen Has Issues, Roy Harper is Arsenal, Supportive Jason Todd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-11-03 15:53:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17880722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtistAtHeart1/pseuds/ArtistAtHeart1
Summary: Roy bursts into Jason's apartment distraught. And after finding out why, helping Roy calm down, and find out some of the details, Jason decides to put his foot down when it comes to the other person Roy tried to confide in.





	Support

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sort of follow up to Relate. Hopefully I did better with writing Roy and Jason in this context. Also, this is not meant to bash Oliver Queen. It was more so to give Oliver a distaste for drug use and not wanting to get involved with Roy's past use because of where he's at. 
> 
> Also did you know, while Roy is one inch shorter than Jason, Jason is about 30 pounds heavier? Granted that's in muscle, but it's something to think about when this gets to a certain point.

Jason was enjoying the quieter night in Gotham. He got through his bust pretty quick, scaring the thugs right into Gordon's lap. He left it at that. He knew he could have killed them. It would have been easy to, but he knew what that would get him. A beat down from the Dark Knight no doubt.

For now though, he was just going to enjoy the silence. He flicked through several channels looking for something to watch. He passed by a rerun of an interview with Bruce about his recent gala, uninterested. The news was just boring. The only thing that seemed interesting was an MMA fight. He didn't recognize either of the fighters, but one of them reminded him of Damian with how aggressive he was being.

A knock on the door distracted Jason's sense of peace. He groaned, rolling his eyes as he got up to answer it. He wasn't expecting any visitor and he mentally prayed that it wasn't Dick popping up for one of his spontaneous desires to bond.

"Hello." Jason coldly greeted, opening the door.

A capped red blur brushed passed Jason, heading for the kitchen. Jason's attention shot towards the kitchen, curiously irked. To his surprise, it was Roy. He was clamoring around cabinets, looking for a glass. Jason closed the door as Roy found one.

Something felt off. While Jason wasn't unfamiliar with Roy coming over, occasionally crashing for the night, Roy's demeanor seemed off. He usually greeted Jason with his pet name before telling Jason what was going on as he entered. This time, he was eerily quiet and he seemed on edge.

"Everything okay?" Jason inquired.

Roy didn't answer, as though he hadn't heard Jason's question. He went into the fridge for Jason's water pitcher, pouring some into his cup. Jason cautiously approached Roy. If something was wrong, he didn't want to startle Roy.

"Roy?" Jason called.

Roy still didn't reply, putting the water pitcher back into the fridge. He went for his glass, with the intent of sitting at the table. It was then that Roy finally acknowledged Jason. He was startled to see Jason in front of him, wondering when he got there.

"Hey Jaybird." Roy greeted, forcing out a smile.

Jason could see through Roy's façade. He could see the stress lines on Roy's face. His body was tense, stiffly standing in place. Then there was the glass in his hand that was shaking slightly. There was no way he was in a proper state of mind.

Jason grabbed Roy's upper arm and guided him to the table. Jason sat across from Roy. A concerned glare burned into Roy.

"What's going on?" Jason interrogated.

"Nothing." Roy lied. "What makes you think something is wrong?"

"Barging into my house in the dead of night without warning. Not saying a word." Jason briefly gestured at Roy. "You are visibly shaking. Need I go on?"

Roy kept his sight on the glass. He didn't want to look at Jason, knowing his friend was right. He could deny it all he want, but he knew Jason wouldn't let him.

"Bobby." Roy quietly mumbled.

"What?" Jason asked, not quite catching what Roy said.

Roy didn't want to repeat himself. Even if Jason didn't hear him. But yet again, he knew that he had to. Roy's shaking picked up slightly and his grip on the cup tightening.

"Bobby!" Roy spoke up, unintentionally shattering his glass in blind distress.

They both flinched. Glass shards dug into Roy's hand, but Roy was almost numb to it. His attention rested on the mess he made, regretting that he caused. He got up to get paper towel, a broom, and a broom pan.

Jason, on the other hand, was more focused on Roy. Roy's hand was bleeding and needed to be treated. He ran to the bathroom, grabbing the first aid kit and tweezers that were in there. When he returned to the kitchen, he found Roy on his hands and knees, cleaning the floor.

Jason removed everything from Roy, sitting it beside them, before grabbing onto the injured hand. Roy regrettable bit his lip. He was ashamed about what he did, and he felt that Jason was going to be really upset with him.

"I'm sorry." Roy apologized.

"It's fine." Jason sighed in frustration, picking out the shards of glass in Roy's hand. "Glasses can be replaced. I'm more concerned about you right now."

Jason thought back to the name Roy spewed. Bobby. From what Jason remembered, Bobby was a friend that Roy had made back in rehab. They were both in for the same reason and went to the same counseling sessions until they felt like they were ready to leave. That did not, however, answer the question about what Bobby did for Roy to react like this.

"What happened to Bobby?" Jason asked, disinfecting the hand now that the shards were out.

If he could Roy would hid his face even more.

"He's dead." Roy admitted.

Jason was shocked by the revelation, but refused to show it. He wasn't expecting to hear that. The guy was only a few years older than Roy and from what Jason was told, Bobby was doing okay.

"He relapsed and overdosed." Roy relayed. "His mother called and told me. He was doing so well when I last talked to him." Roy's head twitched. "It just guys to show that no two people are alike."

"That may be, but I think we both expected him to be successful." Jason admitted, wrapping Roy's hand. "Like you." Jason tightened the wrap, making sure it snugly stayed in place. "Are you okay?"

Jason let go of Roy's hand, allowing Roy to flex his fingers. Roy continued to watch it as he rotated his wrist and made a fist. He sighed, resting his hand in his lap.

"I don't know." Roy sighed.

Roy looked at Jason. He was greeted by an unconvinced glare. It pierced his demeanor, causing Roy to shutter.

"No." Roy admitted. "I'm devestated about it, and I'm afraid of what I could do."

"You haven't…"

"No!" Roy gaped.

Roy showed Jason his arms. Jason wasn't expecting Roy to do this, wholeheartedly believing Roy's answer. Regardless, he noted that there were no marks on Roy's arms. No punctures. Nothing. Jason looked at Roy empathetically.

"You don't need to prove anything to me." Jason stated. "I may be concerned, but I know you'd never lie to me. I trust you."

Roy took his arms back, folding them around him. He was a little ashamed that he doubted Jason's trust, but he knew it was a reflex.

"At least someone does." Roy weakly thanked. "I tried talking to Oliver about it, but he just dismissed it. He doesn't want anything to do with it."

It was good to hear that Roy had gone to Oliver first. However, it was discouraging that Oliver was so dismissive of it. Be it because of Oliver's harbored distaste for Roy's past use or his desire to avoid the topic, it didn't matter. It irritated Jason that Roy's parental figure brushed it aside like that.

Jason shoved the thought aside for a moment, turning his attention back to Roy. Roy was rocking slightly in exhaustion as he tried to keep himself awake.

"Why don't you crash here for tonight?" Jason suggested. "You look exhausted and the spare bedroom is unoccupied."

Roy looked up at Jason confused. It wasn't often that Jason offered someone to stay the night. He was a little curious about it, wondering why Jason was offering.

"I can't let you go out in your condition." Jason stated. "I trust you, but Gotham? Not so much. Plus, I'd like to continue this conversation once you've rested and are a little more level headed."

It sounded reasonable. Roy actually found it quite noble. He did need to clear his head out, and maybe some sleep was the best way to do that.

"Okay." Roy accepted.

Jason helped Roy up. He made sure the archer got out of the kitchen without slipping. When they entered the room, Jason looked through a drawer to see if he had anything so that Roy didn't have to sleep in his Arsenal attire.

"This is all I have to offer as far as clothing." Jason offered, holding out a white tank top and jeans. "They don't really fit me anymore, and they probably won't fit Tim for a few years."

"They're perfect." Roy thanked, grabbing them. "Thank you."

"Good. You can hide you're Arsenal stuff either in the back of the closet or under the bed. I'll get you a bag for it in the morning."

"Yep."

Jason excused himself from the room, allowing Roy to have privacy. He didn't go too far, finishing the needed clean up in the kitchen. When he was done, he went to check on Roy. When Roy didn't answer, Jason stated he was coming in and opened the door.

When Jason entered the room, he found Roy in bed, already fast asleep. Roy's face was laying sideways and his body was curled. His uniform was balled up under the bed and his green cap was resting on the bed frame. Jason took a few steps towards the bed, just to be sure. Once he did, Jason whipped out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hey Timbo." Jason greeted. "Is the big boss home?" Jason waited a moment. "I just need to borrow the jet for an hour, two tops. I've got to see an archer about a bow."

~

Knocking tapped on a finely crafted wood door. There was a pause, as a figure waited for an answer. It didn't take long for footsteps to get progressively louder.

"What did you forget this time Dinah?" Oliver asked, opening the door.

But rather than finding his close friend and lover on the other side of the door, Oliver was greeted by Jason. The Gothamite wasn't too amused by the greeting. Not that he was too thrilled about being at the Queen estate to begin with.

"We have to talk." Jason stated, entering the house.

"Come on in." Oliver sarcastically invited, closing the door.

Jason led Oliver into the den. He didn't say anything that would explain his sudden arrival.

"Roy's crashing at my house." Jason stated, folding his arms.

"Okay." Oliver acknowledged, not quite understanding why that brought Jason to his house. "And you're here because…?"

"He's quite distraught. Friend relapsed and died from an overdose. He's scared that he will do the same, which I think we all know he won't." Jason looked at Oliver with annoyance. "Then there's you." Jason sternly took the puzzled gaze from Oliver. "He came to you for help and you essentially pushed him away."

Oliver rolled his eyes. He understood the concern and did worry about Roy, but he really didn't want to talk about this.

"And I'll tell you what I told him." Oliver stated. "He's doing great, but please leave me out of it."

"Look, to a degree, I get it." Jason admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "You don't like drugs and want to distance yourself from something that makes you think about your own past mistakes. But that doesn't negate the fact that he reached out to you, hoping that you'd help."

"You've done fine in that regard. He's doing fine without me."

Jason scoffed. He really wanted to get a point across, even if what Oliver said was true. Jason had to adjust his lecture.

"Have you met my parents or my stepmother?" Jason inquired.

"I'm sure they're wonderful people." Oliver stated.

"They're dead."

Oliver was a little troubled by the declaration. He knew he should have expected as much given the fact that he was in Bruce Wayne's care. He was just being a bit rhetorical when saying what he did.

"Dad was murdered. My mother sold me out to the Joker, resulting in my death, only to regret it before she died. And then there's my stepmother, who died after years of drug use and her declining health."

That made it worse. On the one hand, he knew there had to be a reason for Bruce Wayne to take him in and his unwarranted death, but he didn't think it would be that bad.

"Why are you telling me this?" Oliver asked.

"I would do anything to have them back. To help them change for the better. Don't get me wrong, as much as it pain me to say it, I appreciate what Bruce has done for me. That does not negate the fact that I wouldn't want my parents' affection or the chance to aid them if given the chance. But this isn't about me, this is about Roy."

Jason took a step back. He knew that he was here for Roy. He didn't expect to get this open about himself while doing so.

"He reached out to you," Jason repeated, "and you didn't think about helping him."

"But he has you."

"Yes, and Roy is the one person I can help out of the countless people I've seen in the same predicament. But don't you get it? He wanted help from you. Stop deflecting this before you regret losing him."

Jason stomped towards the door. He stopped at the door as he opened it. He wanted to leave Oliver one last thing.

"I've got to get back." Jason sighed. "I've got to get back to Roy before he wakes up. I don't need him freaking out with me gone." Jason glanced over his shoulder, looking at Oliver. "At least think about what I've told you."

Jason left the house at that. He had nothing left to offer. He closed the door behind him, hoping that he got through to Oliver.

~

Roy burst into Jason's room with a pleased grin. Jason was lying on the top of his bed, not even covered. He groaned, annoyed that his sleep was being disrupted. He sat up as Roy sat next to him. Jason noted Roy was a ball of sunshine this morning.

"Oliver called me." Roy stated.

Jason tried to act surprised. Granted, he wasn't expecting Oliver to call Roy so soon, but he had a good feeling that his words got through to the archer since he did.

"Did he now?" Jason inquired.

"Yeah. He apologized for how he treated me last night and said if I ever needed him in the future to give him a call."

Jason smirked with approval. It was good to know that Oliver made that offer. Now it was a matter of hoping that Oliver would follow through on it. Not that Jason planned on ceasing his efforts to help Roy anytime soon.

Roy affectionately latched an arm around Jason's shoulders. He held Jason in his sideways hug for several silent minutes. All Jason could do was take it, not that it bothered him much.

"What's this for?" Jason inquired as Roy released him.

"I know you had something to do with this." Roy stated. "Thank you."

"Someone has to keep an eye out for you."

"But you didn't have to do that. I don't think I deserved that."

Jason shifted on the bed a bit. He wanted to face Roy. He wasn't going to let Roy get away with saying that.

"I want you to have a support system." Jason stated. "I will always be here for you, but I know how important it is to have people who believe in you."

Roy leaned against Jason. He silently accepted and thanked Jason for the help.

"What did I do to deserve a friend like you?" Roy asked.

"Putting up with me is enough." Jason replied with a smug grin. "Now, I'd like to talk to you about last night. Is there anything you would like to address outside of what you already have?"

Roy shuffled around until he was sitting on the bed, cross legged, as he looked at Jason. Jason did the same. Roy would lead the conversation. He brought up his fears, his response to the overdose, and his emotional state.

Jason listened, chiming in as he saw fit. He knew he needed to praise Roy for his accomplishments, but he didn't wish to discourage Roy from expressing his concerns. He needed Roy to open up.

It was moments like these that made both Jason and Roy appreciated their friendship. Because beneath all of their craziness and the antics they get themselves into, they cared for each other. They were there for each other and they wouldn't trade it for the world.


End file.
